Archives for September 2018

ESSEX — Enjoy ‘Brats & Beer’ along with beautiful fall foliage on the Connecticut River! A great night is in store for you from the minute you smell the brats sizzling on the grill to the last sip of beer as you glide into dock after the last rays of a stunning sunset.

This unique evening on Thursday, Oct. 11, runs from 5:45 to 9 p.m.

Arrive 5:30 p.m. in Essex for departure at 5:45 p.m. for a two-hour cruise on the Becky Thatcher Riverboat. Return to Essex at 9 p.m.

The evening offers:

• tastings of several carefully selected craft beers
• a buffet of brats and all the fixin’s (additional beverages and snacks are available for purchase onboard.)
• gift bag including an engraved beer glass as a memento

CHESTER — Cruise Blues & Brews was started in 2015 and has operated as a fund raiser to support the At Risk Boys Fund. Each year this event contributes thousands of dollars to the fund which uses 100% of the proceeds to support non-profits in Middlesex County. The At Risk Boys fund has been operating since 2013.

Giving away over $60,000, it supports grass-root, local initiatives who work to help the at-risk boys in our communities. The festival is a fun and exciting event that has generated a lot of buzz in the community.

Each year hundreds of families and car and music enthusiasts come out to enjoy the festival. There is something for everybody with upscale food vendors, retail items and stores, cars, cars, and cars, all while listening to some of the best Blues bands in Connecticut.

Up-scale food trucks provide the top food choices for the festival. With choices from home-style barbecue to fish and chips, you will never go hungry at this festival.

Craft Beer is provided by Thimble Island Brewery, one of the festival sponsors. You can enjoy cars, food, and music that will make your day at this festival one to round out your summer.

Another reason to attend is the Vendor Marketplace. Only hand-picked vendors are allowed to make your selection diverse and interesting.

Kids will enjoy the festival, as well, with their own Kids Zone complete with free face painting and fun and games for all kids.

And there’s more … prizes, games, and surprises make this a festival not to miss.

All proceeds of the event are raised on behalf of the At-Risk Boys Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County

The 4th Annual Cruise Blues & Brews Festival, will be held Saturday, Sept. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date, Sunday, Oct. 1), at the Chester Fair Grounds. Admission: $5 donation, children under 12 free. To learn more about this Festival, buy tickets in advance or make a donation to the At-Risk Boys Fund of the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, visit: www.atriskboysfund.org . Tickets may also be purchased at the gate during the Festival.
Photos courtesy of Caryn B. Davis Photography www.carynbdavis.com

IVORYTON — Summer’s back and so is the Ivoryton Farmers’ Market.The Ivoryton Green will be bustling with vendors showcasing Connecticut-Grown produce and prepared foods. Local artisans and crafters will be displaying their latest creations and area musicians will be performing, live.

Brought to you by the Ivoryton Village Alliance, the market is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and runs weekly from June 16, through Sept.29. Everyone is invited to visit our village, shop the market and enjoy the free, live entertainment.

OLD SAYBROOK — The Estuary Council of Seniors 220 Main St Old Saybrook is offering Chair Massage by appointment every Wednesday. Relieve stress, sore muscles, and improve circulation not to mention relax. Call Susan Graham L.T.M. at 860-510-1376 for a private appointment.

Walk-ins are welcome as time permits. Isn’t it time to treat yourself to a relaxing chair massage?

20 minute chair massage: $20.

Organic facial massage for face, neck, shoulders 30 minutes: $30.

For more information and to schedule an appointment, call Susan at 860-510-1376

AREAWIDE — Income-eligible residents in Hartford County and Middlesex County are encouraged to apply now through the Community Renewal Team’s (CRT) Energy Assistance program to get help paying for their home-heating bills this winter.

“Winter may be a few months away, but it is never too early to start planning how you will pay your home-heating bills,” says Patricia Monroe-Walker, Director of Energy Services for CRT. “We are happy to help eligible families make sure that they have the resources to heat their homes properly throughout the winter.”

Low to moderate-income households in Hartford and Middlesex Counties may be eligible for help paying their utility or fuel bills. Home heating includes oil, natural gas, electricity, propane, kerosene, or wood. Even if heat is included in the cost of rent, tenants may be able to receive a one-time cash payment.

CRT’s Energy Assistance program helps thousands of families in Connecticut every year. In 2017, the program served nearly 20,000 eligible households in Hartford and Middlesex Counties.

AREAWIDE — The Middlesex Coalition for Children will host a 2018 Candidate Forum, Oct 11, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at deKoven House in Middletown.Candidates running for office for State Senate and State Representative for
Middlesex County seats will be present.

In this panel discussion-style event, candidates will be asked questions about their views on issues that affect children and families in Middlesex County

Essex First Selectman and 33rd State Senate District candidate Norm Needleman.

AREAWIDE — NARAL Pro-Choice America, one of the nation’s leading women’s health advocacy organizations, has announced its endorsement of Norm Needleman for the State Senate seat from the 33rd District in Connecticut.

The objective of NARAL Pro-Choice America candidate endorsements is to, “elect champions who don’t just pay lip service to values of reproductive freedom, but who truly fight for them…and help defeat those who want to roll back the clock on our rights.”

In accepting the endorsement, Needleman said: “We must continue our efforts to make certain that women have the right to choose how and when to raise a family, that paid family leave is assured, and that pregnancy discrimination is erased from the workplace. The endorsement by NARAL-Pro-Choice America is deeply gratifying. It strengthens my longstanding commitment to insure that basic reproductive rights are guaranteed to all women in or district, our state, and our nation.”

Needleman is the Democratic candidate for the 33rd State Senate District, which consists of the towns of Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Portland, Westbrook, and part of Old Saybrook.

Needleman is the founder and CEO of Tower Laboratories, a manufacturing business. As CEO, he has built the business to become a leader in its field, employing over 225 people.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church of East Haddam has announced a benefit cruise on the Connecticut River aboard RiverQuest’s Adventure to view the Tree Swallow migration on Sunday, Sept. 30. One of nature’s extraordinary events is the annual gathering of hundreds of thousand of Tree Swallows on the Connecticut River in the fall, just prior to their migration south. The swallows converge at dusk and form large clouds from which they descend into the communal roost along the shoreline. This has been declared as one of nature’s greatest spectacles.

There are two ticket levels. Patron for $150.00 which includes a private pre-cruise reception at the Gelston House in East Haddam with champagne and hors d’oeures from 3:45pm to 4:30pm; and, general price of $75.00. Both levels include food and beverage aboard the Adventure. Cruise starts promptly at 5:00pm so arrive early. Departure is from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam.

This cruise will be a unique St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church fundraising opportunity with a portion of the funds raised through ticket sales going to the East Haddam Fuel Bank.

Captain Mark has found the best way to maneuver The Adventure to allow optimum views from her open decks on the bow and stern. Flexible seating ensures everyone gets “up close and personal” viewing. The cruise is about 3.5 hours on the water. The cruise is primarily about the Tree Swallows, however, it is also about the journey there is so much to see while cruising along the river.

Many birds are migrating through the area at this time; for the fall season, we saw a record number of Bald Eagles and Great Egrets last year. On board Naturalist(s), will educate you on the Tree Swallow phenomenon and all the other wildlife we see. On the return cruise home, there is time to chat with others and experience the river at twilight, blending into night. Don’t forget your camera and binoculars.

“This Tree Swallow cruise and viewing experience on the Connecticut River is an incredible opportunity to see the beauty of nature up close, to bring people together in a unique event and to provide a way for St. Stephen’s to raise money both for the church and a portion of the money raised will go to the East Haddam Fuel Bank”, comments Tom Angers, Chair of the Tree Swallow Cruise Committee at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. “We are delighted to bring this event to the church and the East Haddam community,” Tom concludes.

AREAWIDE — In a cold Parisian apartment, a poet is so poor he burns pages of his own manuscript for heat. A chance encounter and cleverly pocketed key lead him to discover a love strong enough to warm his soul. But in impoverished 19th-Century Paris even love is not free, and he is faced with a price he may not be able to pay.

What cost is too high for the woman he loves, and is it worth living without her by his side?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in a spectacular performance of Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’ at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center — the Kate — at 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, this evening at 7 p.m. or Sunday at 3 p.m. A few tickets are still available for both performances by calling the Kate box office at 860.510.0453 or online by clicking here.

Tomorrow evening, Saturday, Sept. 22, there will another performance of La Boheme at 7 p.m. at the George Kent Performance Hall, 119 High Street, Westerly, RI. For tickets, call 860.535.0753.

This performance at Kent Hall is a special “Opera in the Round,” an immersive experience that puts you right in the middle of 19th-Century Paris! Eat, Drink and Be Merry with your own Parisian picnic basket as you celebrate with the cast their brief taste of happiness, then march with them from the café into the streets of Paris at the climax of Act II.

Katie Barton plays the lead role of Girl in ‘Once,’ which opens Sept. 19 at Ivoryton Playhouse.

ESSEX — The Broadway smash hit Once is currently enjoying a successful run at the Ivoryton Playhouse.

On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician about to give up on his dreams and a beautiful young Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story, underscored by emotionally-charged music.

Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical,Once is an original theatrical experience. Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage,Onceis an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all.

Based on the 2007 movie of the same name, written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the show features all of the haunting songs from the critically acclaimed film, including the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly”. This uplifting show strikes an unforgettable chord in audiences and speaks to the power of music to connect us all. As Irglova said in her remarkable Oscar acceptance speech, “Fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up.”

A show like this only comes aroundOnce.

Ivoryton welcomes back Ben Hope*, who has performed at Ivoryton in Million Dollar Quartet and Stand by Your Man. Hope is making his directorial debut with this show, which is dear to his heart, since he performed the role of Guy on Broadway many times. What makes this production special is that Hope is directing his wife, Katie Barton*, in the role of Girl. Barton has also performed in Ivoryton, playing the lead role of Tammy Wynette in Stand by Your Man.

Joining them in this production are Sam Sherwood*, last seen in Ivoryton in The Road — My Life with John Denver, as Guy; Steven G. Anthony* as Billy; Jonathan Brown as Svec; Margaret Dudasik* as Reza; Andreina Kasper as Bank Manager;Marcy McGuigan* as Baruska; John Mervini as Eamon; Morgan Morse as Andre; Rachel Mulcahy as Ex-Girlfriend; Don Noble* as Da; Victoria Wepler as Emcee and Cadyn Malary and Lizzie Pantano as Ivanka.

Musical direction is by Eric Anthony, set design by Glen Bassett, lighting design by Marcus Abbott, and costume design by Cully Long.

Once runs through Oct. 14, 2018. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p. m. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $55 for adults; $50 for seniors; $25 for students and $20 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org

Group rates are available by calling the box office for information. The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

Now is the time to join the fun and excitement of America’s foremost youth program for boys and girls — Cub Scouting.

Cub Scouting is for boys and girls in the kindergarten through fifth grades. The program combines outdoor activities, sports, academics, and more in a fun and exciting program that helps families teach ideals such as citizenship, character, personal fitness, and leadership.

Matt Pugliese offers a refreshing, non-partisan voice in the state House of Representatives for Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook. Matt brings business experience from the non-profit sector where he has managed tight budgets and competing union interests to deliver theatrical arts to communities in Middletown and at U Conn. Matt has been recognized for his business acumen by the Hartford Business Journal 40 under 40.

As a resident of Old Saybrook raising a young family, Matt knows first hand the importance of supporting education, working women and families. With his courage to speak up for policies that make sense, Matt has earned the endorsements of Moms Demand Gun Sense, CT Chapter of National Organization of Women and Planned Parenthood.

Connecticut has distinguished itself as a leader in gun control and voting equality. To retain these advances, our legislature needs to be controlled by those willing to stand up for these values. Connecticut needs to become a leader in business and the arts. Matt Pugliese has the experience and fortitude to be our next leader.

Shawn Carey, who took this photo, will speak tonight at the Connecticut Valley Camera Club meeting at the Lymes’ Senior Center on tips taking nature photos.

AREAWIDE — The guest speaker at the Monday, Sept. 17, meeting of the Connecticut Valley Camera Club (CVCC) will be the renowned wildlife photographer Shawn Carey, who will give a talk titled, “ Photographing Birds and Other Wildlife in New England and Beyond.”The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Lymes’ Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Rd., Old Lyme, Conn.

All are welcome and there is no admission charge.

Over the last 10 years, bird and wildlife photography has seen a surge in popularity—thanks in large part to vast improvements in digital technology. Digital cameras are better, easier to use, and more affordable than ever. But how do you choose the right one? And once you have the camera, what’s next? Where do you go? When should you get there? And how do you turn those great views you’re getting into memorable images that truly capture the moment?

Don’t panic: wildlife photographer and educator Shawn Carey has you covered. Join Carey as he expertly guides you through these topics and shares some tricks of the trade to help you truly enjoy your experience.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Carey moved to Boston, Mass. in 1986 and has been photographing birds and other wildlife for over 20 years. He’s been teaching wildlife photography for Mass Audubon for the past 18 years. On the board of directors for Eastern Mass HawkWatch where he serves as their Vice President, he is also on the advisory board for the Massachusetts Audubon Society and Mass Audubon Museum of American Bird Art.

The CVCC is dedicated to offering its membership the opportunity to become better photographers. The group offers a variety of presentations and interactive workshops to help members expand their technical and creative skills. Photographers of all levels of experience are welcomed. The club draws members from up and down the river, from Middletown to Old Saybrook; from East Hampton to Old Lyme; and along the shoreline from Guilford to Gales Ferry.

ESSEX — Sister Cities Essex Haiti is joining with the Ivoryton Playhouse for “A Night of Theater” on Thursday, Sept. 27. The evening begins under the tent with a pre-show cocktail and light fare reception 6 to 7:15 p.m. “Once” cast musicians will stroll through the tent and entertain during the reception.

The 2012 Award winning musical “Once” begins at 7:30 p.m. “Once” is an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all. It is winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards.

Enjoy dessert and meet the cast immediately following the show under the tent.

Proceeds from this event will enable Sister Cities Essex Haiti to continue its good work in Deschapelles, Haiti by providing funds for the operation of the Deschapelles Community Library and projects in Music, Tennis and Early Education Teacher Training. Essex and Deschapelles are Sister Cities.

Looking across Gilbert Boro’s Sculpture Grounds towards his own Studio 80, the sculptures shown in the photo are all by Boro himself.

OLD LYME — Gilbert Boro, owner and curator of Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds in Old Lyme, will host Summer Sculpture Showcase 2018: An Exhibition of Unique Landscape Sculptures on his property in the center of this historic town. Boro’s towering studio is also on the beautiful four-and-a-half acre landscaped grounds, as well as his home.

Featuring 20 works by both established, nationally renowned sculptors, as well as fresh new faces, the summer-long show opens June 4. A meet-the-artist opening reception is set for Saturday, June 9 from 5 to 7 p.m., which will feature a live jazz band and a performance by David Dorfman Dance. There is no charge for admission and all are welcome.

Competition to exhibit was keen, with 120 submissions from around the country. Entries were evaluated for concept, execution, creative process, artistry, and how it would fit in the landscape. Boro, a nationally acclaimed sculptor in his own right, hosts this annual show to provide a venue for both young and mid-career sculptors to showcase their work to a diverse audience.

Boro also holds a firm conviction that art and viewer should be interactive. His Sculpture Grounds are an environment where viewers are not only permitted – but encouraged – to touch sculptures. “I really think that three-dimensional art should be handled, touched, pushed, and experienced in three dimensions,” he says. “It’s the only way you can understand it.”

The exhibitors accepted for the Summer Sculpture Showcase embrace this concept. Acclaimed exhibitor artists from Connecticut, the northeast region, and around the country are represented in the show.

‘Lustration’ by Sarah Haviland is one of the features works in Summer Sculpture Showcase 2018.

New York sculptor Sarah Haviland, who received a Fulbright Award to study in Taiwan this fall, had two pieces selected: Lustration, a contemplative female figure of aqua resin and mirrors, and Seraphim Mirror, a butterfly-shaped wall hanging created with galvanized mesh, resin, and a mirror. Haviland’s abstract work explores female identity and is exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Miguel Castillo Hernao, a native of Colombia, evolved to sculpting after university studies in literature and philosophy. Hernao explores geometry, color and repetitive forms in his works composed of stone, wood, metal and plexiglass. His seven-foot tall entry, Composition #28, is formed of painted riveted aluminum.

Chicago artist Ruth Aizuss Migdal’s bold and striking Radiate, standing more than eight feet tall, also plays with female forms and is composed of patinated bronze gilded with gold leaf.

Connecticut-based artists include Deborah Hornbake, whose Running Man is a fusion of wood, pipe, copper tubing, wire and stones; Eric Camiel, who has works in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and The Library of Congress, and whose film work has received numerous Emmy and Academy Award nominations, will have his aluminum sculpture, Sail Dream, on display; and Denis Folz’s monumental 11- foot steel sculpture, Feathered Resting Spot.

Boro is committed to supporting and exhibiting promising new artists. This year he presents Shelli Weiler as the featured indoor artist, with her photography exhibit titled Intimate Exchange. Weiler, a native of Scarsdale, NY, is studying photography at Wesleyan University in Middletown. Her photography explores the deep hidden character of people through ground-breaking and provocative poses and settings. Boro is presenting her work in the small, freestanding ESB Gallery, created in honor of his late wife, Emily.

Situated halfway between Boston and New York, Summer Sculpture Showcase 2018 is set on Boro’s four-and-a-half acre estate in the heart of Old Lyme’s historic village. In addition to special exhibits, the permanent display consists of approximately 100 works strategically placed around the park-like grounds.

Now in its 14th year, the Sculpture Grounds host more than 5,000 visitors a year. Visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic to the cafe. The grounds are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, year-round, admission is free, and touching the sculptures is encouraged.

The show runs through Oct. 26 and is curated by Gilbert Boro, and Exhibitions Coordinator and photographer, Christina Goldberg.

For more information about Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds, visit www.sculpturegrounds.com. The David Dorfman Dance group performs and holds workshops around the country and will be in residence at Conn College in New London June 6-11.

‘Music on the Riverboat’ will be held on the Becky Thatcher, pictured above.

Enjoy live music while sailing down the Connecticut River during a gorgeous sunset at Essex Steam Train’s annual summer concert series, Music on the Riverboat. Offering four nights of music on the Becky Thatcher riverboat on select Fridays this summer, this is a fun and unique live music series offering the opportunity to dance the night away in front of a beautiful, natural backdrop.

There is one act remaining on the schedule:

on Sept. 14, the series closes out with Seat of our Pants.

Features of the cruise include:

Board the train at Essex Station at 6 p.m. for a 6:15 p.m. departure

Two-hour cruise down the Connecticut River aboard the Becky Thatcher riverboat

Bands perform between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Train returns to Essex Station approximately 9 p.m.

Food and beverage service are available at the fully stocked bar (No BYOB permitted)

Due to the time of day and duration of the cruise, Music on the Riverboat is not recommended for children under 10.

ESSEX – Centerbrook Architects & Planners has announced that Daniel Batt, AIA, LEED AP has been promoted to associate.

A graduate of Miami University in Ohio and the Rhode Island School of Design, Batt is just shy of 10 years with Centerbrook. His diverse résumé includes having served as the project manager for built projects such as the expansion of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and the new Red Barn at Mitchell College.

Batt, a Deep River resident, is currently the project manager for Rocky Corner, Connecticut’s first cohousing development that is now under construction. He is also managing a project currently in planning for The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Stamford.

“Dan is one of the most well-rounded architects I’ve worked with,” said Centerbrook Principal Jim Childress, FAIA. “Not only is he a creative and thoughtful designer, but he’s excellent at delivering a project on-time and on-budget. He really knows how to keep the water out.”

Centerbrook also announced that its architectural staff is now 90-percent licensed with David Peterson most recently passing the Architect Registration Examination. The other latest licensees on the design staff include Aaron Emma, Hugo Fenaux, Anna Shakun and Aaron Trahan.

Centerbrook Architects & Planners is a firm conceived in 1975 as a community of architects working together to advance American place-making and the craft of building. A collaborative firm with an exceptional history of building, Centerbrook is known for inventive design solutions that are emblematic of its client and their traditions.

Centerbrook’s designs have won 380 awards, including the Architecture Firm Award, a distinction held by only 36 active firms nationwide. Centerbrook is currently designing for clients in seven states, Canada and China.

We in the lower Connecticut Valley live in one of the world’s “last great places”. But can we afford to protect the environment if it raises our taxes and costs us jobs and money? This question always comes up around election time but it is based on an incorrect assumption and it leads to the wrong answer. For a state like Connecticut with its knowledge based economy, the environment is actually good for the economy.

China has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and it is a leader in the environmental technology. Some of the wealthiest places on earth (Germany, Denmark, California) are the most environmentally conscious. Solar voltaic installers and wind turbine service technicians are projected to be among the fastest growing occupations in the United States. Connecticut is home of some of the pioneers of the future (the fuel cell industry) and has some of the best resources in the world for the green economy; e.g.: the Connecticut Green Bank (the first in the nation) and the Yale Center for Business and the Environment. Our own locality has initiatives such as Sustainable Essex and the Chester Energy Team and engines of sustainability such as Centerbrook Architects and Noble Power Systems. All of this is in addition to the tourist industry which brings jobs and money to the area as well as making it a nice place to live. These signs are telling us something – that the future belongs to the clean and the efficient.

You don’t need to be a member of the Sierra Club or a follower of the Pope’s Encyclical to care about the environment. It is good enough to care about turning “Green to Gold” (to quote from the book by Dan Esty of Yale). The green economy is the wave of the future and if jobs and money are what we want, we ought to get on board or we will lose BOTH our environment and our economy.